Reflections

When I trek, I shoulder my pack
at the break of day and limp and groan
the stiffness out.
When my pack and I together break the battle lines of morning chill,
and I feel the heat from my body swell.
I sit me down and breathe; remove my shell and tighten this,
adjusting that. I shift the weight just so.
I eat a bit, check my sites, and watch perhaps some form of life
across the snow.
My breathing steady, body heat, my movements smooth and sure...
my pack slips on like a well creased glove... and now I set my pace.
The miles unroll beneath my boots and beauty greets my eyes.
But skip the sit my friends, and see
a certain rise in difficulty
for whatever may arise.

Life takes a slightly sloping turn, not down per se... but a definate drop in momentum is registered... The slightly too-hard brake that wakes you up on the bus, making you panic as you wonder where you are, how you got there, and where you are going.

Sometimes a decision has to be made, something you convince yourself is important, whether or not it really is. You concentrate, and tune out the here and now. You smile less, you cope, you watch your feet when you walk.

And then something happens in a split second. Hard to describe its many forms. But the one thing it always has is the element of surprise: the unexpected laugh... did it come from you? And like a long-lost guarded erotic memory, it grows and explodes. The food tastes better, the lust for life does a back flip, and you stride on.

A small moment is all it takes. Not the full kiss of an unseen angel... fainter... only the breath. You will miss it if you don't keep a sharp eye.

I had my small moment yesterday... insignificant if recounted... it is powerful only in its effect. A shared moment over coffee, a connection.

It reminded me that I hadn't taken a break to sit on my pack... tighten this adjust that, watch life and let the initial heat of open gates balance into a pace that I can keep. And so I take a moment on this July 4th, far away from fierworks ... to write and reflect, and check my course.

Today is my last day at the Intercultural Institue in Mendoza, a few final fiestas and then I set out on my own again to a destination not yet determined.